Fire-extinguishing apparatus



Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

lllllllll II II IIIIII To-ullwiwm Be it known that hire-ExtinguishingApparatus; tollowing 1s a specification.

F i 'a Patented l1.

ARTHUR "C. RO'WV LEY, BF PHILAID a El these 'r'lLPl-IIA, rnivnsvn'vsnrn, ASSIGNOB 'roenonn 8F PHELADELPl-I'JIA. v PENNSYLVANIA, A

ninn-nz z'rrneorsnine n'rrsnscros.

Application filed sepiember it may concern:

l, ARTHUR C. Rownnr,

a citizen of they United States, residing in Philadelphia Pennsylvania,

have invented which the My invention relates to that class of apparatusor systems in ii'hich the caching of an 'itdtOlllil-l-lc sprinkler andthe consequent release of fluid from attached causes operation voftratus and the consequent deliveryiron'i thethe pipe to which it iscertain appasprinkler of a fire extinguishing fluid such as carbonicacid gas.

line object of the invention is to provide a system of the general classabove which shall be more cert than those previously tion contemplatingthe employment of a relay apparatus, actuated indicated am in 1 s actioninstalled ;--the invenupon the escape oi lluid "born the system; wherebya main apparatus is quent delivery to 111 operation, with consethe o Jensorinkler of the fire extinguishing fluid.

"it is hirther desired to provide a lire e2;-

tinguishing system above noted simple and which in addition to "thefeatures; shall be relatively substantial as tothe nuniber andarrangement of itsparts and consequently not only install and in aint ambut relatively inexpensive to practically certain and quick in itsoperation under predetermined conditions. 1

"these objects and ends I attain as herelnaiteruset forth, referencebeing had to ings in which,

the ammp m draw- .lhe figure is a diagrammatic elevation,

partly in section, illus mentot the apparatus con vention.

trating one arrange stituting my iniln the above drawing 1 represent amain tanlc having holding the main b the system and from this tankextends ariser the capacity necessary for ody of soda solution for thelowest portion of 2 having any desired and suitable number of branches'8 extending laterally diately under the b Stalled.

iii

no A

from it, usually immethe ceiling; of 'each story of in which the system1s in- 1' he various temperature respon other advantageous 14 1918.Serial no. 254,130.

sive devices such as automatic sprinklers 4: are connected to thesebranches in the customary manner. I

in) the presentinstance the riser 2 has ontinuatioh 5 extending from itshighest nt to a vertically elongated expansion nkfi suitably mounted atthe highest part the system. and the lower part of the her 10 into thetop oi said tank.

lnorder that the main body of acid con- "ined in the holder 7 shallcertainly be c cchergel into the tank l upon the opening of one oi thesprinklers I provide an auxiliary or relay soda tank 11 Whose lowest apipe 12with portion connected through the lowest portion of a small tankmounted adjacent thereto whose top is connected through pipe 13 withthetopmost portion on" the expansion tank 6. Preferably adjacenttheflsinall tank 14, there is connected in the conduit l3 check valve 15haying a soft inctal seat and designed to normally open though capableof closing to "t How of liquid from the tank '14; up throt the wipe 13.

The auxiliary soda tank 11 has its upper part connected through a pipe16 to the upthe main acid holder 7 and within it a lever 17 preferably"tulcrurued on suitable ported by the sides ing is normally closeconnected in it a dry pipe or check cap and the second arm of the lever17 has connected to it a link or extension 21 designed to be capable oftipping said holder past its position of unstable equilibrium and isprovided with a vent pipe 22 terminating in a soft seat check valve 23so mounted as to be normally open although free to close to pipe 22whenever the pressure withln the auxiliary tank 11 rises above thenormal.

through a branchpipe 25 and .thesystem is filled ter the lowersufficiently to cause such liquid to enpart of the expansion tank 6;thecock 26 being opened to allow escape of theair. Themain charge of sodasolution is then introduced into themain soda tank 1 and an auxiliarycharge is likewise placed in the auxiliary soda tank 11 and reservoir14, which are filled sufiiciently to buoy up the float without causingit to affect the holder 19. The main acid charge is then placed inthe-vessel 7 and the auxiliary acid charge is placed in the auxiliaryholder 19 which is mounted on its pivots within the tank 11 so that itsdischarge opening is uppermost.

Under conditions of use when one of the sprinklers 4- opens by reason ofa predetermined rise of temperature such as would be causedby a fire initsvicinity, the liquid in the upper part of the riser and in the'lowerpart of the expansion tank 6 is discharged under the action of gravityfrom said sprinkler. 'The lowering of the liquid level in the expansiontank 6 exhausts the air from the pipe 13 and from the upper part of thereservoir 14, so that, owing to thesuction produced there is animmediate flow of the soda solution from the auxiliary soda tank intothis reservoir. The consequent lowering of the level of the soda chargein the auxiliary soda tank permits the float 18 to fall and causes thelong arm of the lever 17 to act upwardly through the, link 21 to tipover the auxiliary acid holder, which thereupon delivers its acid intothe auxiliary soda charge ofsaid auxiliary tank. The immediategeneration of carbon. dioxide resulting from the action of the acid onthe soda results in the production of a high pressure in the auxiliarysoda tank whereupon the check valves 15 and 23 are closed and there is aflow of high pressure gas into the top part of the main acid holder 7.The acid in prevent escape of fluid through the sprinkler was dependedupon to cause delivery of themain acid charge into the main soda tank,the result would have been uncertain, owing to the small amount ofenergy resulting from the opening of a sprinkler. If however, betweenthe apparatus containing the main acid and soda charges and thesprinkler system there be introduced a relay device operative upon theflow of fluid or change of pressure resulting from the operation ofonejor more of the sprinklers, such device by generating what is ineffect an ex plosive bodyot as which insures the rapid and complete delivery of the main charge of acid to the main soda solutiommakes theoperation 01": the system certain, eflective and rapid.

I claim: 7 I i 1. The combination in a fire extinguishing system of asupply pipe having sprinklers; a main soda tank; a main container foracid associated therewith; an auxiliary soda tank connected to said mainacid container; an auxiliaryacid container; a pipe connecting theauxiliary soda container with the supply pipe; and a float within theauxiliary soda tank operative to cause discharge of acid from theauxiliary acid container into the auxiliarysoda tank when a changeoflevel therein causes a predetermined alteration in the position of thefloat. Y

2. The combination ofa supply pipe having'sprinklers; a mainsoda tank; amain' 110 acid holder connected to said tank; an auxiliary soda tankconnected todeliver fluid into the main acid. holder to force the acidtherefrom into, the main soda tank; an auxiliary acidholder movab lysupportedv in said auxiliary tank; a float insaid latter-tank forcontrolling the position of the auxiliary acid holder; and a pipeconnecting the auxiliary soda tankwith the sprinkler system.

' The combination of a supply pipe .having sprinklers; an elevatedexpansion tank connected to the supply pipe; a generator of fireextinguishing fluid connected to thesup ply pipe; a gas generatorconnected to said first generator and including a controlling float anda liquid-containing casing therefor; with a pipe connecting said casingand the expansion tank. I

4. 'The combination of a supply pipe having .sprinklers; an elevatedexpansion tank asaaea a 3 connected to the supply pipe; a maingenercause delivery of acid from the latter helder ator of fireextinguishing fluid connected to upon a predetermined change of liquidlevel the supply pipe and including a main acid in the tank; and a pipeconnecting the latter 10 holder; an auxiliary generator including a tankt0 the expansion, tank.

5 tank connected to discharge gas under pres- In Witness whereof Iaii'lX my Signa ure.

sure into the acid holder, an auxiliary acid holder and a floatin saidtank connected to v ARTHUR G. ROWLEY.

